Scottish Executive

Air Services

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many flight routes have been established with the assistance of route development funds since June 2003.

Nicol Stephen: Since June 2003, 7 routes have started following offers made under the Interim Route Development Fund. Other routes will start in 2004.

Air Services

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what percentage of overseas air travellers have been routed through English airports in each of the last three years.

Nicol Stephen: The percentage of overseas air travellers to Scotland in 2002 arriving in the United Kingdom through airports in England is as follows:

  Scheduled business passengers: 49%

  Scheduled leisure passengers: 51%

  The figures are given in the Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) passenger survey, Tables 24 and 25, and represent 2002* levels only. The search facility for the CAA website can be found at http://www.CAA.co.uk.

  No separate figures are available for 2000 or 2001.

  *Figures are derived from the latest run CAA Passenger surveys and then have all been weighted to represent 2002 levels.

Alzheimer's Disease

Irene Oldfather (Cunninghame South) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will consider recommending that acute health trusts appoint an Alzheimer's disease liaison officer with responsibility for all hospitals within their area to ensure that relatives of patients with Alzheimer's disease have access to information about their relatives’ care.

Mr Tom McCabe: Our National Health (December 2000, Bib. number 10298) and Partnership for Care (February 2003, Bib. number 26689) are explicit about the need for the NHS to work with patients and their carers to ensure that they have the information and support they need to be involved in decisions that affect them. This applies equally to people with conditions such as Alzheimer’s disease where there is a key role for carers and relatives.

  In addition to this, as part of the implementation of the Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, NHS boards will be required to draw up carer information strategies. Guidance on the format and content of these strategies will be discussed in consultation with carer’s organisations and issued in 2004.

Ambulance Service

Carolyn Leckie (Central Scotland) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether contingency plans are being prepared by the Scottish Ambulance Service for any rise in the number of births in transit as a result of maternity service reviews.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Executive has made clear to NHS boards and the Scottish Ambulance Service the need for early dialogue wherever changes to the way in which maternity and other hospital services are provided may be under consideration. This is what happened recently in NHS Argyll and Clyde and informed the decision of the NHS board to provide the ambulance service with additional funding to sustain a high quality service for patients where the treatment locations were to change.

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the likely impact of the European Working Time Directive will be on the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans there are, and timetable there is, for implementing the European Working Time Directive in the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Malcolm Chisholm: Hours of work are the subject of continuous monitoring by the Scottish Ambulance Service and the information is shared with staff side representatives. This information is used to inform discussions about changes that require to be made to ensure sustained compliance with the directive. The service has drawn up options and plans for implementing these changes, including adjusted shift patterns and the conversion of some ambulance stations to different modes of working, including full-time working. It is continuing to work through this change programme.

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional funding is required to implement the European Working Time Directive in the Scottish Ambulance Service.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3784 on 14 November 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Ambulance Service will install map tracking systems in all ambulances and, if so, what the timescale and cost will be of so doing.

Malcolm Chisholm: I refer the member to the answer given to S2W-3787 on 14 November 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive when the priority-based dispatch system for the Scottish Ambulance Service will be operational.

Malcolm Chisholm: Priority-based dispatch is one element of the Scottish Ambulance Service’s modernisation programme and will be introduced into Argyll and Clyde with effect from 31 December 2003, and into Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire and Arran with effect from 1 April 2004. The priority-based dispatch system is currently operational in all other areas of mainland Scotland.

  Supporting priority-based dispatch and another element of the service’s modernisation programme is the satellite tracking system, which is now in operation in all the emergency control rooms. This enables control room staff to track the movements of accident and emergency vehicles and to deploy the vehicle which is closest to an incident. The satellite navigation system - which allows the crew to identify the location of an incident via an electronic map - has been installed in the service’s rapid response units. The service plans to install this system in all accident and emergency vehicles over the next two years.

Ambulance Service

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to increase the number of paramedics serving in the (a) Scottish Ambulance Service and (b) Vale of Leven ambulance station.

Jackie Baillie (Dumbarton) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to train ambulance technicians as paramedics; how long such training takes, and what the cost of the training is.

Malcolm Chisholm: The Scottish Ambulance Service is currently halfway through a five-year programme to have a paramedic in every frontline ambulance by 2005-06. This involves the training of over 600 additional paramedics. The training programme is widely advertised and ambulance technicians are encouraged to apply. Direct recruitment is also used to increase the number of paramedics in the service, subject of course to checking of qualifications.

  The ambulance service’s South West Division has an action plan to increase the number of paramedics across the division, including at the Vale of Leven Ambulance Station. Paramedic cover in Vale of Leven is supplemented by the use of overtime and the service plans to post suitable direct recruitment personnel into the area. I know that the ambulance service has been in discussion with NHS Argyll and Clyde about the implications of the changes to clinical services at the Vale of Leven Hospital and I understand that funding has been secured for extra ambulance resources.

  To become a paramedic, ambulance technicians must have at least 18 months operational experience. They also have to sit a pre-entry examination. Training takes six weeks at the Scottish Ambulance College with four weeks clinical training in hospital. The costs of training a paramedic are between £8,000 and £10,000 depending on what operational cover is required to support their absence from their home base.

Anti-Social Neighbours

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many eviction orders were (a) sought and (b) granted to remove convicted illicit drug dealers from local authority tenancies in each of the last five years, broken down by local authority area.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive collects information on the number of eviction actions taken against council tenants which proceeded to court, the number of cases which resulted in an eviction order and the number of cases which resulted in an eviction. The numbers of eviction actions as a result of anti-social behaviour are reported separately, but these do not identify instances of drug dealing specifically.

  The data on evictions for each local authority are published quarterly in the Scottish Executive Statistical Bulletin (Housing Series), and the most recent edition is available online in the published data section of the Housing Statistics Branch reference site:

  (http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/housing/hsbref), or from the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 28820).

Common Agricultural Policy

Mr Mark Ruskell (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive what Common Agricultural Policy funds have been allocated within Scotland, broken down by region, and when this information will be published.

Ross Finnie: The amounts paid out by SEERAD under the main Common Agricultural Policy Schemes in 2002 and broken down by region are as follows:

  

Region
 £ million


 North East Scotland
 81.49


 East Scotland
 131.35


 South Western Scotland
 84.86


 Highlands and Islands
 68.70



  Summary details of the CAP payments made are published in the:

  Economic Report on Scottish Agriculture (published June 2003) and the Annual Report of the Administration of Common Agricultural Policy schemes in Scotland (published August 2003).

  Copies are available on the Scottish Executive website.

Communities

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2549 by Ms Margaret Curran on 24 September 2003, which local authorities are currently participating in the neighbourhood compact scheme.

Ms Margaret Curran: Neighbourhood compacts are a feature of the "Building strong, safe and attractive   communities" funding programme. All local authorities receiving funding under this scheme will be required to develop a neighbourhood compact in the areas where they are targeting funding. Funding for this programme runs from 2004-06.

Concessionary Travel

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when a nationwide concessionary fares scheme will be operational, as referred to in paragraph 19 of its consultation paper Scotland’s Transport – Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland .

Nicol Stephen: As outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland , the Executive is committed to extending concessionary fares schemes on public transport, including a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities; and progressively introducing a scheme of national bus, rail and ferry concessionary travel for young people, initially for all in full-time education or training.

  Work is taking place to progress these commitments, including discussions with key stakeholders. This will be followed by a formal consultation process and substantial research and implementation work. We will be in a position to make a decision on the precise timing of the introduction of the schemes once the formal consultation process has been completed.

Concessionary Travel

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how it plans to expand the concessionary fares scheme.

Nicol Stephen: As outlined in A Partnership for a Better Scotland the Executive is committed to extending concessionary fares schemes on public transport, including a national free off-peak bus scheme for older people and people with disabilities; progressively introducing a scheme of national bus, rail and ferry concessionary travel for young people, initially for all in full-time education or training; and assessing improved public transport concessions for people with disabilities.

  Work is taking place to progress these commitments, including discussions with key stakeholders. This will be followed by a formal consultation process and substantial research and implementation work.

Dentistry

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether any of its targets outlined in the Health and Community Care chapter of its draft budget 2004-05 relate to improving NHS dental services.

Mr Tom McCabe: No.

Digital Technology

Richard Lochhead (North East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been advised by any provider what the estimated cost of rolling out 100% broadband coverage, or as close to 100% coverage as possible, will be, and, if so, what that estimate was.

Mr Jim Wallace: The Executive is in regular discussions with Telcos regarding broadband rollout. These discussions are, however, commercially confidential.

Economy

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public limited companies closed their (a) headquarters or (b) registered offices in Scotland as a result of cessation of business in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3675. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many manufacturing jobs have been lost in (a) Scotland, (b) Aberdeen, (c) Edinburgh, (d) Dundee, (e) Glasgow, (f) Inverness and (g) Stirling in each year since 1996.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information on job losses is not held centrally.

  However, statistics on the number of people employed in manufacturing are contained in "Parliamentary Constituency Economic Profiles", copies of which can be found on:

  http://www.scotland.gov.uk/about/ELLD/EI/00015648/page1382927761.aspx.

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of employment has been in the construction industry in each quarter since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: The following table shows the level of employment in the construction industry, in Scotland, from spring 1997 to summer 2003.

  

 
 No.
  employed in Construction
  (000)


 Spring 1997
 169


 Summer 1997
 170


 Autumn 1997
 178


 Winter 1997
 182


 Spring 1998
 177


 Summer 1998
 189


 Autumn 1998
 188


 Winter 1998
 178


 Spring 1999
 182


 Summer 1999
 176


 Autumn 1999
 180


 Winter 1999
 188


 Spring 2000
 187


 Summer 2000
 189


 Autumn 2000
 182


 Winter 2000
 187


 Spring 2001
 185


 Summer 2001
 179


 Autumn 2001
 173


 Winter 2001
 174


 Spring 2002
 167


 Summer 2002
 168


 Autumn 2002
 168


 Winter 2002
 177


 Spring 2003
 180


 Summer 2003
 190

Employment

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many women were employed in the science, engineering and technology industries in each of the last 10 years, expressed also as a percentage of all workers in those industries.

Mr Jim Wallace: The following table shows the number of women employed in science, engineering and technology industries in each of the last 10 years, expressed also as a percentage of all workers in those industries.

  

 
 Number 
  of Women Employed
 Percentage 
  of All Workers


 Year
 (000)
 %


 1994
 52
 24.8%


 1995
 46
 23.0%


 1996
 59
 26.8%


 1997
 60
 25.0%


 1998
 54
 23.2%


 1999
 57
 26.5%


 2000
 60
 25.9%


 2001
 61
 25.7%


 2002
 49
 22.6%


 2003
 49
 21.9%

Enterprise

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of economic inactivity has been in each quarter since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: The following table shows the level of economic inactivity in Scotland, from spring 1997 to summer 2003, which is the latest quarter for which this information is available.

  

 
 Number
  of Economically Inactive People
  (000)



 Spring 1997
 715


 Summer 1997
 713


 Autumn 1997
 715


 Winter 1997
 697


 Spring 1998
 701


 Summer 1998
 710


 Autumn 1998
 687


 Winter 1998
 715


 Spring 1999
 718


 Summer 1999
 718


 Autumn 1999
 717


 Winter 1999
 692


 Spring 2000
 676


 Summer 2000
 673


 Autumn 2000
 666


 Winter 2000
 670


 Spring 2001
 674


 Summer 2001
 669


 Autumn 2001
 672


 Winter 2001
 688


 Spring 2002
 664


 Summer 2002
 668


 Autumn 2002
 661


 Winter 2002
 644


 Spring 2003
 653


 Summer 2003
 656

Enterprise

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public limited companies have established their (a) headquarters or (b) registered offices in Scotland as a result of commencing trading in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Claire Clancy the Chief Executive of Companies House to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Companies House does not keep information on the number of public limited companies (PLCs) with headquarters in Scotland. However the number of PLCs having their registered offices in Scotland as a result of commencing trading in each year since 1997 is as follows:

  

 1997
 18


 1998
 16


 1999
 23


 2000
 21


 2001
 29


 2002
 21

Enterprise

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public limited companies have relocated their (a) headquarters or (b) registered offices to Scotland from other parts of the United Kingdom in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3675. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Enterprise

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public limited companies have relocated their (a) headquarters or (b) registered offices from Scotland to other parts of the United Kingdom in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3675 on 14 November 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Enterprise

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public limited companies listed in the FTSE 500 established their (a) headquarters or (b) registered offices in Scotland as a result of commencing trading in each year since 1997.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public limited companies listed in the FTSE 500 relocated their (a) headquarters or (b) registered offices to Scotland from other parts of the United Kingdom in each year since 1997.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public limited companies listed in the FTSE 500 relocated their (a) headquarters or (b) registered offices from Scotland to other parts of the United Kingdom in each year since 1997.

Murdo Fraser (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many public limited companies listed in the FTSE 500 closed their (a) headquarters or (b) registered offices in Scotland as a result of cessation of business in each year since 1997.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Claire Clancy, the Chief Executive of Companies House, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Companies House does not record which public limited companies (PLCs) are included in the FTSE 500. Companies can be removed from the register for a variety of reasons and cessation of business is not a category that Companies House can provide figures for.

  Companies House does not keep records of PLCs relocating headquarters as it is not a requirement of the Companies Act. However, PLCs cannot relocate their registered offices from Scotland to England/Wales or vice versa as there is no provision within the Companies Act which allows this to be done.

Enterprise

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on each project or programme allocated funds under the current Scottish Enterprise budget of £461.2 million and how much each programme or project has been allocated, grouped by strategic theme and priority.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information on projects and programmes to which Scottish Enterprise have allocated funds is contained in their Operating Plan for 2003-04, which is available on their website.

Enterprise

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information it has on each programme or project allocated funds under the current Highlands and Islands Enterprise budget of £91.55 million and how much each programme or project has been allocated, grouped by strategic theme and priority.

Mr Jim Wallace: Information on projects and programmes to which Highlands and Islands Enterprise have allocated funds is contained in their Operating Plan for 2003-06, which is available on their website.

Enterprise

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many telecommunications-related jobs have been lost to overseas competition in the last six years.

Mr Jim Wallace: This information is not held centrally.

Enterprise

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the level of economic inactivity was in (a) Glasgow, (b) Edinburgh and (c) Dundee in each of the last five years.

Mr Jim Wallace: The following table shows level of inactivity in Glasgow City, Edinburgh City and Dundee City in the last four years. Information prior to 1999 is not available at local authority level.

  

 
 Glasgow
 Edinburgh
 Dundee


 Inactive
 Inactive
 Inactive


 (000)
 (000)
 (000)


 1999
 138
 66
 21


 2000
 118
 57
 22


 2001
 125
 56
 20


 2002
 123
 57
 22

Enterprise

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive on what occasions since 1999 ministers have accompanied Scottish firms on visits overseas to promote export marketing and sales, broken down by minister and country visited.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answers given to questions S1W-29052 on 9 September 2002 and S2W-2904 on 25 September 2003. These answers set out details of all overseas visits carried out by Scottish Executive ministers from July 1999 to March 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

  These ministerial visits encompass a number where ministers have undertaken a range of engagements to promote Scotland including those where ministers would have met and supported Scottish firms undertaking visits overseas to promote export marketing and sales.

Ferry Services

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive who benefits from its ferry tendering process.

Nicol Stephen: I am committed to the maintenance of affordable air and sea links to Scotland’s island and remote communities. Tendering protects the lifeline ferry services to the Northern Isles and in the Clyde and Hebrides by ensuring that they are in line with EC rules and thereby allowing subsidy to continue. I intend to build on the success of current provision and to protect these services for the future while providing scope for innovation and improvement in services.

Ferry Services

Tommy Sheridan (Glasgow) (SSP): To ask the Scottish Executive what companies it has employed in the tendering processes for ferry services; what the costs of these contracts are, and whether there are any penalty clauses in respect of any premature closing of the tendering process.

Nicol Stephen: The following table lists the external expert advice which the Executive has commissioned to date to support its preparations for the tendering of the Clyde and Hebrides lifeline ferry services

  

 External Advisor
 Purpose of Contract


 Burness, Corlett and Partners 
  Ltd (Marine Consultants)
 Advice on technical aspects 
  of the draft Clyde and Hebrides Service Specification (completed)


 Shepherd+Wedderburn WS
 Advice on and administration 
  of electronic information room for bidders (on-going)


 Saltire (Marine Consultants)
 Advice on technical aspects 
  of the final version of the Clyde and Hebrides Service Specification 
  (on-going)
Advice on technical aspects of the Gourock-Dunoon Service 
  Specification (on-going)



  The total value of the above contracts is £115, 315.86

  None of the contracts include a penalty clause in respect of the premature closing of the tendering process.

Ferry Services

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what representations it has made to the Department for Transport and Industry regarding the impact on ferry services of the recommendations of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch’s report on the MV Claymore and what the reasons are for its position on the matter.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is in regular contact with the UK Government on a range of reserved issues, including the responsibilities of the Marine Accident Investigation Branch (MAIB). The MAIB report referred to in the question makes recommendations to be followed up by the operator of the ferry involved and by the Maritime and Coastguard Agency.

Fisheries

Dennis Canavan (Falkirk West) (): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress has been made on the review of the system of protection orders made under the Freshwater and Salmon Fisheries (Scotland) Act 1976, when the review will be to completed and when the findings of the review and any subsequent proposals will be published.

Allan Wilson: An initial review of the system of protection orders has now been completed. I have recently received an analysis of the responses made. Once I have had time to consider these, I will discuss next steps with my officials.

Further and Higher Education

Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to support and fund volunteering within further and higher education institutions through providing funding strategies similar to those currently implemented in England through the Higher Education Funding Council.

Mr Jim Wallace: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2328. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at: http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Gas

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress it has made on the devolved aspects of the recommendations of the Report of the Working Group on Extending the Gas Network and which areas of Scotland were identified by the working group as being suitable for extending the gas supply network.

Lewis Macdonald: Although the devolved administrations were members of the Working Group on Extending the Gas Network, there were no devolved matters covered among the recommendations of the working group’s report.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-33495 by Mrs Mary Mulligan on 5 February 2003, when the remit and timescale of Professor James McEwen’s review of the current provision of chronic pain services will be announced.

Malcolm Chisholm: The remit for the review, which was agreed after consultation with interested parties including the Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain, is:

  Through a process that includes consultation with key stakeholders, including NHS boards, the Pain Association and Pain Concern (as representatives of the interests of patients), the Scottish Network for Chronic Pain Research, the Physiotherapy Pain Association, Aberdeen Pain Research Group and individual clinicians with particular expertise, which includes some members of the Cross Party Group on Chronic Pain, to produce a report that:

  reviews referral protocols for the treatment of chronic pain

  reviews the current range of services in each of the health boards for treating chronic pain

  draws conclusions about the level of service for treating chronic pain across Scotland, compared to the recommendations made by the 1994 report by a working group of the National Medical Advisory Committee on the Management of Patients with Chronic Pain and the 2000 Clinical Standards Advisory Group report on Services for Patients with Pain

  makes recommendations on how to improve the level of service across Scotland.

  The review is now well in hand. Professor McEwen expects to be in a position to make his report before the end of the year.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it will take to implement a national framework for pain management services as recommended by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy Scotland in its annual report 2002-03, Outside in .

Malcolm Chisholm: There are no plans to introduce a national services framework for chronic pain. The Executive has, however, commissioned an independent review of chronic pain services, the report of which is expected to be received by the end of the year.

Health

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking on the development of direct referral to physiotherapy services as recommended by the Chartered Society of Physiotherapy in Scotland in light of a pilot project in Dundee that demonstrated that such a system produced a saving of one months’ consultation time a year in an average GP practice.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is important to build on good practice and the Dundee pilot project suggests that it is possible to reduce waiting times for physiotherapy, which is good for patients. As part of its national programme, the Centre for Change and Innovation is undertaking a modernisation of out-patient services which will certainly build on the kind of work demonstrated by physiotherapists in Dundee.

  In addition to the Dundee pilot, a further study involving all health board areas in Scotland and GP practices in a wide range of locations, is currently under way to consider further the scope for the provision of direct access. This national multi-centred study will show whether provision of direct access is appropriate in all locations irrespective of deprivation and setting.

Housing

Ms Sandra White (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps are being taken to compensate residents in the Dunbritton Housing Association development at Tullichewan in respect of any unexpected costs associated with heating their homes.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland, to respond. Her response is as follows:

  All costs associated with residents’ heating have been paid in full by the main contractor, Lovell, up to February 2003. The housing association is currently negotiating a further compensation package with the contractor to cover the intervening period.

Housing

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what research it has commissioned into the impact of the Homelessness etc. (Scotland) Act 2003 on the (a) need for affordable housing in Scotland as a whole and (b) requirement for new housing in each local authority area and what plans it has to increase the supply of new affordable housing beyond its previous target of 18,000 new houses over three years.

Ms Margaret Curran: Each local authority requires to assess housing needs across all tenures within its area in terms of its local housing strategy, which should complement the local authority's homelessness strategy and other strategic plans. In making this assessment it will need to take into account its duties under the 2003 act and any effect it considers those duties will have on the level of need for affordable housing in its area.

  The 2003 act sets the framework for the expansion, and ultimate abolition, of the "priority need" definition within homelessness legislation, with the end target that all "unintentionally homeless" households will be entitled to permanent accommodation by 2012. Research is being commissioned which will identify a methodology for assessing the capacity of local authorities to respond to this change. The 2003 act requires ministers to publish, by 31 December 2005, a statement on the abolition of the priority need test. This ministerial statement will be informed by the outcomes of the research.

  The partnership agreement includes a commitment to the provision of an additional 18,000 new and improved homes for social rent and low-cost home ownership by 2006. We will in due course consider plans for subsequent years in the context of the spending review and in the light of all relevant evidence including that relating to any effect on housing need arising from the 2003 act.

Housing

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on the provision of housing for people with disabilities in rural areas.

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  Local authorities have responsibility to assess housing provision and the provision of related services in their area, and in particular the provision of housing and related needs of persons with special needs. The Housing (Scotland) Act 2001, section 89 requires local authorities to undertake an assessment of housing needs and conditions, including the housing needs of people with disabilities in their area and to produce a local housing strategy. Local housing strategies must complement community care plans. Communities Scotland will be assessing the local housing strategies on behalf of the Scottish Executive.

  In 2003-04, Communities Scotland will provide, in rural areas, £18.5 million of funding to enable the provision of over 350 new and improved homes for older people, vulnerable single people, physically disabled individuals, people with learning difficulties and other groups, consistent with community care plans. Funding for the physical adaptation of existing properties is also available from the relevant housing budgets (e.g. the local authority for any of its tenants; Communities Scotland for tenants of a registered social landlord and local authorities for owner occupiers and private renters where applicable). In addition, in 2002-03, 96.2% of all Communities Scotland’s general needs new build housing funded by housing association grant was built to a barrier free standard.

Housing

Stewart Stevenson (Banff and Buchan) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of the projections from Communities Scotland in regard to housing referred to at the Communities Committee on 8 October 2003 ( Official Report c 138).

Ms Margaret Curran: I have asked Angiolina Foster, Acting Chief Executive of Communities Scotland to respond. Her response is as follows:

  The information previously provided in the Communities Scotland Research Report No. 21, Local Housing Need and Affordability Model for Scotland, in July 2003 is being updated and a further report will be published in spring 2004. The results of the Scottish House Condition Survey 2002 will be published in November 2003. Copies of both will be placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre in due course.

Housing

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what housing debt remained after the transfer of local authority housing stock in (a) Scottish Borders Council, (b) Dumfries and Galloway Council and (c) Glasgow City Council and what proportion of such housing debt has subsequently been redeemed in each local authority, in each case specifying which costs were met by (i) HM Treasury and (ii) the Executive.

Ms Margaret Curran: Details of the debt and breakage costs associated with the three housing transfers is set out in the following table. HM Treasury provided the resources to redeem all residual Public Works Loan Board housing debt and breakage costs on the date of transfer, where these could not be met from the transfer receipt. No debt associated with the transferred stock remains to be serviced by councils.

  

 Council
 Debt
(PWLB/Private)

 Breakage Costs

 Receipt

 Exchequer Grant 
  to Meet Residual PWLB Debt/Breakage



 
(£ million)
(£ million)
(£ million)
(£ million)


 Scottish Borders
 66.07
 16.37
 23.34
 59.10


 Dumfries and Galloway
 90.57
 18.28
 32.79
 76.06


 Glasgow
 909.1
 221.0
 25.0
 1105.1

Housing

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the breakage costs associated with any redemption of residual debt resulting from the transfer of local authority housing stock were in (a) Scottish Borders Council, (b) Dumfries and Galloway Council and (c) Glasgow City Council and what the estimated servicing costs of any such residual debt in each local authority will be in each of the next three years, in each case specifying which costs were or will be met by (i) HM Treasury and (ii) the Executive.

Ms Margaret Curran: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3645 on 14 November 2003 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottishparliament.uk/webapp/wa.search

Justice

Karen Whitefield (Airdrie and Shotts) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish its response to the consultation by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on the proposals for the establishment of a supreme court and constitutional reforms.

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive today issued its response to the consultation by the Department for Constitutional Affairs on constitutional reforms, including the setting up of a UK Supreme Court to replace the House of Lords sitting as an appeal court.

  The Executive welcomes the proposal for the setting up of a UK Supreme Court as a means of ensuring that Scotland’s constitutional position is maintained. The Executive believe that the creation of the UK Supreme Court would respect the unique nature of the Scottish justice system.

  The Executive indicated its view in July that it saw no case for departing from the long tradition of Scottish civil appeal cases going from the Court of Session to the House of Lords nor of supplementing the criminal appeal system by a further route to the new UK Supreme Court.

  In its response, the Executive agree that the right of appeal to the House of Lords on civil matters has served the Scottish justice system well. A tradition of high quality and durable decisions has built up in a way which has ensured valued and valuable consistency throughout the UK. The Executive see no reason to upset the current balance.

  Equally, the Executive do not believe that there is any need to modify current rights of appeal in relation to criminal matters to give the new UK Supreme Court jurisdiction in those respects simply for the sake of consistency. There are considerable differences between the systems of criminal law in Scotland and England and the current system has served the Scottish justice system well.

  The view of the Executive is that in relation to devolution issues under the Scotland Act, the UK Supreme Court is the appropriate forum for final determination of all such matters. The full text of the response is at www.scotland.gov.uk/00018515.

Local Government Finance

Mr Jim Mather (Highlands and Islands) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what the formula was for calculating the recent enterprise in education grants to local authorities.

Mr Jim Wallace: We are distributing funding on the basis of pupil population with an adjustment for rurality.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what assistance is offered to parents of children under 14 who have been diagnosed with a mental illness.

Mr Tom McCabe: Our National Health (December 2000, Bib. number 10298) and Partnership for Care (February 2003, Bib. number 26689) are explicit about the need for the NHS to work with patients and their carers to ensure that they have the support and information they need to be involved in decisions that affect them.

  The Community Care and Health (Scotland) Act 2002, requires NHS boards to draw up Carer Information Strategies, including advice on all available assistance. Guidance to health and social care professionals on implementing measures contained in the act states that the views of a child or young person with support needs, as well as the views of their parent or guardian, should be taken into account, as far as this is reasonable and practicable.

Mental Health

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action is being taken to ensure that all teaching staff are aware of, and sensitive to, the needs of young people with a mental illness.

Peter Peacock: Measures are already in place. Probationer teachers must achieve the Standard for Full Registration (SFR) before being fully registered by the General Teaching Council for Scotland and thus becoming eligible to apply for permanent teaching posts. The SFR sets out clearly what is expected of new teachers during their induction period and provides a professional standard against which decisions are taken on full registration. Among the professional skills and abilities listed in the SFR that registered teachers are expected to demonstrate is the ability to "identify and respond appropriately to pupils with difficulties in, or barriers to, learning and seek advice in relation to their special educational needs".

Mortgage Rights (Scotland) Act 2001

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many applications have been made under section 1 of the Mortgage Rights (Scotland) Act 2001 in each year since the act came into force.

Ms Margaret Curran: This information is not collected centrally and could only be obtained from individual court records. The Executive is soon to conduct a general review of civil judicial statistics, part of which will be to consider the detailed arrangements for collecting, collating and publishing the statistical information in a new format.

NHS Boards

Bruce Crawford (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will list the political activities, over the past five years or in the five years prior to appointment, of each member of the (a) Fife NHS Board, (b) newly-formed NHS Fife Acute Care Division board and (c) newly-formed NHS Fife Primary Care Division board.

Malcolm Chisholm: It is neither possible nor appropriate to detail the political activities of board members prior to appointment. Nor is information held for the newly-formed NHS Fife Acute Care Division and Primary Care Division as their members are not appointed by ministers.

  In accordance with the Commissioner for Public Appointments’ Code of Practice, all current members of the Fife NHS Board have supplied a declaration covering their recent political activity. The information is as follows:

  

 Fife NHS Board
 


 Name
 Position
 Declared Political 
  Activity


 Ms Esther Roberton
 Chair
 Labour


 Mr James Mudie
 Non-executive
 None 


 Mrs Ruby Hughes
 Non-executive
 None 


 Cllr Theresa Gunn
 Non-executive
 Labour


 Mr Denis Bradley
 Non-executive
 None


 Mr Simon Fevre
 Non-executive
 None


 Mrs Doreen Bell
 Non-executive 
 Labour


 Mr David Stewart
 Non-executive 
 None

NHS Funding

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how much accumulated revenue over-expenditure has been incurred by NHS boards since 1999; on what terms it has written off any such amounts incurred by boards, in particular NHS Tayside, and whether it has any plans to offer a similar write-off to NHS Argyll and Clyde once that authority has demonstrated its ability to bring its revenue expenditure within its allocation.

Malcolm Chisholm: In 2001-02 the Scottish Executive allocated an additional £90 million to NHS boards to accelerate the implementation of Our National Plan: A Plan for Action, A Plan for Change . The £90 million formed part of the Finance Minister’s end year flexibility settlement and was distributed across all NHS boards. First call on this funding was, as a priority, the clearing of all cumulative deficits which had arisen since April 2001. Hence using these resources, seven NHS trusts had their cumulative financial deficits of £41 million written off as shown in Table 1.

  Table 1: Cumulative Financial Deficits Written Off During 2001-02

  

 NHS Trust
 £000


 Argyll and Clyde Acute Hospitals 
  NHS Trust
 3,305


 Renfrewshire and Inverclyde 
  Primary Care Trust
 1,077


 Grampian University Hospitals 
  NHS Trust
 4,914


 North Glasgow University Hospitals 
  NHS Trust
 9,491


 South Glasgow University Hospitals 
  NHS Trust
 4,092


 Highland Acute Hospitals NHS 
  Trust
 2,744


 Tayside University Hospitals 
  NHS Trust
 15,852


 Total
 41,205



  When the funds were distributed, Susan Deacon stressed that this was a one off exercise which would not be repeated. The funds were provided to give a clean slate to the new unified NHS boards and to provide a real opportunity to develop initiatives flowing from Our National Plan. It was stressed that NHS systems and in particular accountable officers must ensure that future deficits were not accumulated.

  Since 2001-02, 3 NHS board areas have incurred revenue deficits at trust level; Argyll and Clyde, Grampian and Lanarkshire. As at 31 March 2003, the accumulated financial deficits are as outlined in Table 2.

  Table 2: Accumulated Financial Deficits as at 31 March 2003

  

 NHS Board Area
 £000


 Argyll and Clyde
 9,635


 Grampian 
 4,829


 Lanarkshire
 10,169


 Total
 24,633



  The Scottish Executive does not have any plans to write off the above balances. The Health Department is working closely with boards in the development of their financial recovery plans, which demonstrate how the board areas will return to recurring financial balance and repay any accumulated financial deficits.

National Health Service

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S2W-2237 by Malcolm Chisholm on 24 September 2003, on what total number of employees in each NHS board the National Insurance contribution figures are based.

Malcolm Chisholm: The number of employees in each NHS board area that the National Insurance contribution figures quoted in Mr Chisholm’s answer to question S2W-2237 were based on is shown in the following table:

  

 Average Whole Time 
  Equivalent Staff Numbers per NHS Board Area


 
 1998-99
 1999-00
 2000-01
 2001-02
 2002-03


 Board Area 
 No.
 No.
 No.
 No.
 No.


 Argyll and Clyde 
  
  
  8,312 
  
  8,361 
  
  8,580 
  
  8,865 
  
  9,231 


 Ayrshire and Arran 
  
  
  6,755 
  
  6,838 
  
  7,031 
  
  7,238 
  
  7,527 


 Borders 
  
  2,137 
  
  2,217 
  
  2,209 
  
  2,225 
  
  2,258 


 Dumfries and Galloway 
  
  
  3,180 
  
  3,286 
  
  3,346 
  
  3,376 
  
  3,329 


 Fife 
  
  5,316 
  
  5,658 
  
  5,625 
  
  5,934 
  
  6,237 


 Forth Valley 
  
  5,397 
  
  5,407 
  
  5,362 
  
  5,343 
  
  5,324 


 Grampian 
  
  8,772 
  
  10,058 
  
  10,334 
  
  10,564 
  
  10,774 


 Greater Glasgow 
  
  
  22,208 
  
  21,950 
  
  21,860 
  
  22,240 
  
  23,297 


 Highland 
  
  5,619 
  
  4,413 
  
  4,435 
  
  4,571 
  
  4,839 


 Lanarkshire 
  
  8,689 
  
  8,657 
  
  8,558 
  
  8,823 
  
  9,202 


 Lothian 
  
  15,222 
  
  15,605 
  
  15,941 
  
  16,452 
  
  16,850 


 Orkney 
  
  384 
  
  367 
  
  361 
  
  377 
  
  396 


 Shetland 
  
  362 
  
  362 
  
  366 
  
  392 
  
  421 


 Tayside 
  
  10,336 
  
  10,350 
  
  10,073 
  
  10,138 
  
  10,432 


 Western Isles 
  
  
  686 
  
  710 
  
  714 
  
  719 
  
  766 


 Total 
  
  103,373 
  
  104,240 
  
  104,794 
  
  107,256 
  
  110,882 



  Notes:

  The figures represent the average number of whole time equivalent staff employed in each NHS board area per year.

  The figures are taken from the published annual accounts of NHS trusts and NHS boards for each respective financial year.

  The figures are disclosed as average whole time equivalent number of employees in the annual accounts of each NHS trust and board. The average whole time equivalent number of employees will be less than the total number of staff employed due to staff employed on different working patterns.

Opencast Mining

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are plans to reduce the amount of coal produced from opencast mines.

Lewis Macdonald: Coal Industry policy is a reserved matter. While the extraction of coal in Scotland is regulated by the land use planning system, which is devolved to the Scottish Executive, this does not seek to predetermine the appropriate levels of coal to be produced by opencast mining.

Parliamentary Questions

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will provide a substantive answer to question S2W-2042 lodged on 13 August 2003.

Nicol Stephen: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-2042 on 10 November 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

People with Disabilities

Rhona Brankin (Midlothian) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what the role of local authority social work departments is in monitoring the provision of services for people with learning disabilities in the community.

Mr Tom McCabe: Local authorities commission services from the independent sector to meet the needs of people with learning disabilities. These services are monitored and evaluated by local authorities. Monitoring and evaluation should take account of the views of the people with learning disabilities and their families that use the services.

  Local authorities also monitor and evaluate the services that they provide in-house. For example, local authorities conduct Best Value reviews of various services for people with learning disabilities. One of the aims of such reviews is to ensure that people with learning disabilities get services that maximise their quality of life.

Poverty

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how its policies to reduce poverty take account of differential impacts of poverty on women, children, ethnic minorities, older people and people with disabilities.

Ms Margaret Curran: The Scottish Executive has a number of policies that tackle aspects of poverty. Efforts are made in all of these to meet the particular needs and circumstances of vulnerable groups.

  For example, lone parents, who are predominantly women, are now able to access a £1,000 child care grant to allow them to attend higher education courses, thereby increasing not just their own, but also their children’s life chances. The Sure Start Scotland programme targets support at families with very young children, ensuring that every child has the best possible start in life. Race equality legislation, along with our "One Scotland, Many Cultures" campaign, are helping to alleviate poverty by breaking down barriers faced by ethnic minority people to entering the labour market. More than 10,000 older people are now benefiting from warmer and more efficient homes through free central heating installed under our Warm Deal scheme. Older people and disabled people are benefiting from our policy to provide free bus travel within their local areas.

Public Private Partnerships

Michael Matheson (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any record of compliance with section 19(2)(b) of the Race Relations Act 1976 by companies operating public private partnerships.

Ms Margaret Curran: Although the questioner refers to section 19(2)(b) of the Race Relations Act 1976, the relevant Scottish provision was section 19(3). The whole of section 19 of the 1976 act was repealed by Schedule 3 of the Race Relations (Amendment) Act 2000 with effect from 2 April 2001 by virtue of Statutory Instrument 2001/566. In any event, the general duty under section 19(1) only applied to educational authorities in Scotland by virtue of section 19(6) and companies operating public private partnerships were never subject to this duty.

  In July this year the Commission for Racial Equality published guidance for public authorities and potential contractors on procurement and race relations legislation.

Public Transport

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how it will evaluate whether local authorities meet community needs in respect of transport issues, as referred to in paragraph 22 of its consultation paper Scotland’s Transport – Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland .

Nicol Stephen: Scotland’s Transport – Proposals for a New Approach to Transport in Scotland seeks comments on the best way of widening public involvement in the planning of transport services in Scotland. The paper suggests that a community planning approach could provide a basis for ensuring that transport services offered meet the needs of the community. It is too early to put in place evaluation methods, which will depend on the form of transport organisations which emerge from the consultation.

Rail Network

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will continue to commit to the development of the Glasgow Crossrail scheme, given that Strathclyde Transport Authority have approved a submission to the Integrated Transport Fund with regard to the feasibility of the scheme.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive continues to support feasibility studies into the Glasgow Crossrail project. We are currently considering Strathclyde Transport Authority’s recently submitted case for Glasgow Crossrail.

Rail Network

Bill Butler (Glasgow Anniesland) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive what assessment it has made of the Glasgow Crossrail scheme as (a) cost efficient, (b) practicable and (c) beneficial to the national rail network.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive is currently considering Strathclyde Passengers Transport’s case for Crossrail, which includes a bid for an award from the Integrated Transport Fund. It is too early to comment on the merits of the detailed proposal.

Rates

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has made any assessment in respect of the effect of differences in rateable values between Scotland and England on its initiatives to extend the availability of broadband.

Mr Andy Kerr: Discussions are on-going between the Scottish assessors, who have responsibility for the valuation of non-domestic property in Scotland, and the network operators to agree valuations for their networks. Established appeal procedures exist for ratepayers if they disagree with the rateable value assigned to their property by the assessor.

Rates

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has received any representations from Her Majesty’s Government in respect of the impact on competitiveness in the telecommunications industry of differences in business rates levied on fixed network operators, wireless operators and broadcasters.

Mr Andy Kerr: We have received no representations from Her Majesty’s Government on this issue.

Regulation of Care

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many elderly people are currently occupying NHS beds who have been assessed as requiring discharge to a care home and are awaiting placement to a care home in the West of Scotland region, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Tom McCabe: The latest available information is shown in the following table:

  NHSScotland – Patients Ready for Discharge – Number of Patients Aged 65 and Over Waiting for a Care Home Placement1 by Selected NHS Board Area; as at July 2003 Census

  

 NHS Board Area of Treatment
 Number of 
  Patients Ready for Discharge Waiting for a Care Home Placement


 Ayrshire and Arran
 102


 Argyll and Clyde
 127


 Greater Glasgow
 145


 Lanarkshire
 60


 Dumfries and Galloway
 8


 Total
 442



  Source: Patients Ready for Discharge in NHSScotland – July 2003 Census.

  1. Number of patients ready for discharge where the principal reason was either non-availability of public funding to purchase care home place, awaiting place availability in a care home, or awaiting completion of social care arrangements for care home placement.

Regulation of Care

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS continuing care beds for elderly people there are in the West of Scotland region, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Tom McCabe: The latest available information is shown in the following table:

  NHSScotland – Average Available Staffed Beds; Facility Designated for the Long Stay Care of the Elderly; by Selected Health Board Area; Year Ending 31 March 2003

  

 Health Board
 Average 
  Available Staffed Beds


 Argyll and Clyde
 451


 Ayrshire and Arran
 285


 Dumfries and Galloway
 123


 Greater Glasgow
 625


 Lanarkshire
 348


 Total
 1,832



  Source: ISD Scotland.

Regulation of Care

Miss Annabel Goldie (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how many NHS continuing care beds for elderly people are currently occupied in the West of Scotland region, broken down by NHS board area.

Mr Tom McCabe: The latest available information is shown in the following table:

  NHSScotland – Average Available Occupied Beds; Facility Designated for the Long Stay Care of the Elderly; by Selected Health Board Area; Year Ending 31 March 2003

  

 Health Board
 Average 
  Occupied Beds


 Argyll and Clyde
 387


 Ayrshire and Arran
 253


 Dumfries and Galloway
 88


 Greater Glasgow
 566


 Lanarkshire
 275


 Total
 1,569



  Source: ISD Scotland.

Regulation of Care

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many senior citizens are in hospital due to a lack of places available in care homes.

Mr Tom McCabe: Information on patients whose discharge from hospital is delayed for reasons other than clinical needs is collected nationally by means of a quarterly census. The latest published information, from the July 2003 census, shows that 670 people aged over 65 were delayed in hospital whilst awaiting place availability in a care home.

Regulation of Care

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has undertaken research into the number of care home places required to meet future demand and, if so, how many places will be required.

Mr Tom McCabe: A range and capacity review of community care services for older people, including a strategic review of the care home sector, is currently being carried out in partnership with health and local authority colleagues and in consultation with representatives from the care home sector. Its findings in due course will form the basis for the longer-term national and local planning of future services.

Regulation of Care

John Swinburne (Central Scotland) (SSCUP): To ask the Scottish Executive what action it is taking to ensure that the number of care home places available will meet future demand.

Mr Tom McCabe: I refer the member to the answer to S2W-3039 which is available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at:

  http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search.

Roads

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to improve access to Edinburgh Airport and the site of the new Royal Bank of Scotland headquarters at Gogarburn; what information, including costing, is available regarding an access route to the sites from the M8 east of the M9 exit, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Nicol Stephen: Access to Edinburgh airport and the west of Edinburgh will be improved through provision of the Edinburgh Airport Rail Link, and the west Edinburgh tram. We have committed funds to both in order that the necessary Parliamentary powers to construct may be secured.

  The Executive currently has no plans regarding an access route from the M8 east of the M9 exit. Our policy, as set out in the West Edinburgh Planning Framework published in March this year, is that public transport improvements will be considered ahead of any road enhancement in the area.

  The A8 is a local road and as such the responsibility of City of Edinburgh Council. Access to the Royal Bank of Scotland site would therefore be a matter for the council.

Roads

Mr Brian Monteith (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what information or indicators it or other publicly-funded organisations publish on the quality of, and expenditure on, local authority maintained roads.

Nicol Stephen: "Scottish Local Government Finance Statistics", published by the Scottish Executive, contains important information about local authority roads performance. This publication is available at http://www.scotland.gov.uk/stats/bulletins/00283-00.asp.

  The Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants also publish data, in its "Rating Review", for example, this year in "Actuals of Income and Expenditure 2001-02" (Bib. number 26652) and "Estimates of Income and Expenditure 2003-04" (Bib. number 29256).

  Audit Scotland publishes a report which compares council's performance, including three statutory performance indicators which local authorities must publish each year:

  The percentage of road network that should be considered for maintenance treatment.

  The percentage of traffic light repairs completed within 48 hours.

  The percentage of street light repairs completed within seven days.

  Where a council operates a direct labour organisation to manage roads, it must prepare an annual report on its financial performance.

Roads

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what arrangements are in place to review and bring forward plans to upgrade Scotland’s motorway and "A" road networks.

Nicol Stephen: We regularly monitor progress on motorway and trunk road schemes and assess the emerging demands and pressures for improvement across the network.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish details of the justification for the report in the Sunday Herald on 5 October 2003 of a statement made by the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service that the quality check process for all Scottish Criminal Record Office (SCRO) evidence by independent experts has shown that "evidence provided by SCRO was of the highest quality".

Colin Boyd QC: Following Her Majesty’s Chief Inspector of Constabulary’s review of the Scottish Criminal Record Office in 2000, the Lord Advocate instructed Procurators Fiscal to obtain independent verification of fingerprint evidence from the Scottish Criminal Record Office. In the 11 months to 14 May 2001, a total of 1,781 cases were examined and the identification of 5,553 marks containing 8,350 impressions were verified by independent fingerprint evidence. On this basis, the Crown Office was satisfied that evidence provided by the Scottish Criminal Record Office was of the highest quality.

Scottish Criminal Record Office

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Lord Advocate will commission an independent enquiry into the competency and efficiency of the Scottish Criminal Record Office including the safety of the fingerprint evidence it submits to the Crown Office and Procurator Fiscal Service for use in court cases.

Colin Boyd QC: I do not intend to commission an enquiry into fingerprint evidence from the Scottish Criminal Record Office/Scottish Fingerprint Service. I am satisfied that the Scottish Criminal Record Office/Scottish Fingerprint Service has adopted an appropriate Quality Assurance Management System. I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3508. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament's website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Scottish Environment Protection Agency

Campbell Martin (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether the Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA) has authority to prosecute operators of (a) landfill sites and (b) sewage works in relation to offensive odours; if not, what action it will take to ensure that SEPA has the authority to prosecute operators of sewage works who allow offensive odours to be produced, and what the reasons are for the position on this matter.

Allan Wilson: The decision on whether or not to proceed with a prosecution against an operator in relation to offensive odour is a matter for the Procurators Fiscal Service. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency has, in addition to its ability to recommend cases for prosecution, a range of statutory powers to take enforcement action against operators who breach conditions in its licences. This includes requiring an operator to take remedial action to address a problem and revoking a licence.

  Depending on circumstances, landfill sites fall within the scope of Waste Management Licensing (WML) under Part II of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 or the Pollution Prevention and Control (Scotland) Regulations 2000 (PPC). Some sewage treatment works fall under WML. Others will transfer to PPC by 2007. The Scottish Environment Protection Agency enforces both regimes and is able to include conditions in licences or permits to prevent offensive odour from a site. For those sewage treatment works that do not come within the scope of either regime, local authorities have powers under Part III of the Environmental Protection Act 1990 in relation to statutory nuisance, which includes offensive odour.

Scottish Water

Des McNulty (Clydebank and Milngavie) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive whether there are any instances where Scottish Water has not complied with the requirements of European Council directives 71/304/EEC, 77/62/EEC, 92/50/EEC and 93/38/EEC (the Works, Supplies, Services and Utilities directives respectively) in relation to open advertising, conduct of prescribed tendering procedures and reporting of contract awards.

Ross Finnie: I refer the member to the answer given to question S2W-3321 on 5 November 2003. All answers to written parliamentary questions are available on the Parliament’s website, the search facility for which can be found at http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/webapp/wa.search .

Sport

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how much of the money set aside to host the Ryder Cup has been made available to assist in ensuring that every child has the opportunity to play golf and which golfing organisations have been the recipients of any such funds.

Mr Frank McAveety: Sportscotland has been charged with taking forward Clubgolf, the initiative launched by the First Minister to take forward the Executive’s commitment to youth golf as part of its Ryder Cup bid. In 2001-02, the Executive allocated £375,000 to the initiative with £425,000 allocated in 2002-03. From 2003-04, the Executive plans to commit £500,000 each year specifically to support this programme.

  The funding set aside by the Executive will be used to support the Clubgolf strategy. Recipients of the funding include the Scottish Golf Union, the Scottish Ladies Golf association and equipment manufacturers.

Sport

Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it will meet the Scottish Golf Union to discuss the future of the Scottish National Golf Centre at Drumoig.

Mr Frank McAveety: We have no plans to meet the Scottish Golf Union. The Scottish National Golf Centre is in the hands of receivers.  Sportscotland has offered the receivers help to find a suitable replacement body and such professional advice as they may require.

Suicide

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidance has been issued to local authorities regarding the implementation of Choose Life: A National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland, in particular on local co-ordination, training and local community-based initiatives and activities.

Malcolm Chisholm: In June this year my department issued guidance to local authorities on implementation of the Choose Life National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland. This guidance, which is available through the website of the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing (www.wellontheweb.net), sets out what is expected of local areas in relation to training, coordination, community infrastructure, local innovative practice, information sharing and other issues which will help towards the goal of reducing the suicide rate in Scotland by 20% by 2013.

Suicide

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what additional resources have been allocated to each local authority to reduce the number of suicides.

Malcolm Chisholm: In June this year my department issued guidance to local authorities on implementation of the Choose Life National Strategy and Action Plan to Prevent Suicide in Scotland. This guidance, which is available through the website of the National Programme for Improving Mental Health and Wellbeing (www.wellontheweb.net ), sets out the resources being allocated to local authorities (to hold on behalf of their community planning partners) for 2003-2006.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what involvement (a) it, (b) the Strategic Rail Authority, (c) Network Rail, (d) Transport Initiatives Edinburgh, (e) the City of Edinburgh Council and (f) Transport Scotland will have in the construction of a rail route to Edinburgh Airport.

Nicol Stephen: The Scottish Executive, Strategic Rail Authority, Network Rail, Transport Initiatives Edinburgh, and the City of Edinburgh Council are all involved in the process of developing a rail link to Edinburgh airport, including through membership of project Steering and Operational groups. The Executive is currently consulting on its proposals for Transport Scotland.

Transport

Murray Tosh (West of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, in light of the commitment made by the Minister for Transport to the Local Government and Transport Committee on 7 October 2003 in regard to providing the committee with updated and detailed information about the progress and implementation of its strategic transport infrastructure projects (Official Report c 118), whether all MSPs will also be kept so informed, and, if so, how that information will be provided.

Nicol Stephen: I have placed in the Parliament’s Reference Centre, a copy of the information about the major transport infrastructure projects that I provided to the Local Government and Transport Committee for its consideration of the Draft Budget for 2003-04 (Bib number 29830).

Waste Management

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what its policy is on charges for the disposal of industrial and commercial waste.

Ross Finnie: Disposal of industrial and commercial waste in Scotland is carried out by private waste management companies or local authorities. It is up to these bodies to ensure that their charges reflect the economic and environmental costs of waste disposal. A landfill tax of £14 per tonne for active waste and £2 per tonne for inactive waste is also levied throughout the UK.

Waste Management

Brian Adam (Aberdeen North) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it is taking to encourage competition in the waste disposal market.

Ross Finnie: Waste disposal is carried out by private waste management companies or local authorities in Scotland.

  Local authorities are under a duty to make arrangements which secure Best Value. Under the Local Government in Scotland Act 2003, guidance on Best Value has stressed the need for local authorities to improve performance without discrimination either for or against the private sector.

Young Offenders

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what improvements have been made to the average waiting time for a child to reach a Children’s Hearing, given the findings contained in Audit Scotland’s report Dealing with Offending by Young People .

Cathy Jamieson: Statistics relating to the Children’s Hearings System are the operational responsibility of the Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration (SCRA). They are published annually in SCRA’s Annual Reports, which are available from the Parliament’s Reference Centre.

  Figures for the last six years for offending cases only are given in the table:

  

 Year
 Time taken to 
  Process Offending Cases (days)


 2001-02
 134


 2000-01
 134


 1999-2000
 141


 1998-99
 140


 1997-98
 151

Young Offenders

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to improve the average waiting time for a court decision on a young person, given the findings contained in Audit Scotland’s report Dealing with Offending by Young People .

Cathy Jamieson: Action to improve the average waiting time for court decisions on young people has been taken on a number of fronts. The Youth Court pilot is operating a fast-track process where young offenders appear in court no more than 14 days from the point of charge. For this category of offender the process reduces to 75 days the period from charge to sentence identified in the Audit Scotland report as lasting between 167 and 190 days.

  The Audit Scotland report also recommended the implementation of a series of comprehensive multi-agency time standards for young offenders in the criminal justice system. Proposals on how to implement such time standards which will be considered by the new national Criminal Justice Board which holds its inaugural meeting in December.

Young Offenders

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to address the issues relating to the delivery of assessment reports on children in the Children’s Hearing System, as referred to in Audit Scotland’s report Dealing with Offending by Young People .

Cathy Jamieson: The Scottish Executive’s response to Audit Scotland’s report Dealing with Offending Among Young People is available in the Parliament’s Reference Centre (Bib. number 29848). Since last year, ministers have agreed national standards in partnership with agencies, launched fast track hearings pilots to demonstrate best practice in planning and service delivery, consulted on the re-launching of the time intervals monitoring process, and taken steps to boost recruitment and training of social workers.

Young Offenders

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to address staff shortages and social work vacancies in relation to the Children’s Hearing System, as referred to in Audit Scotland’s report Dealing with Offending by Young People .

Euan Robson: The Care in Scotland Recruitment and Awareness Campaign is concentrating on the areas of most need; these include criminal justice and children and families work. The Executive is working with local authorities, Scottish Children’s Reporter Administration, the children’s panels and the police to identify and resolve problem areas and to cut bureaucracy. Fast track hearings, for children that are referred on offence grounds, are also helping relieve the difficulties.

Young Offenders

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to increase resources to community-based services aimed at tackling offending behaviour as part of the youth justice system, as referred to in Audit Scotland’s report Dealing with Offending by Young People .

Cathy Jamieson: Funding for local authority youth justice services has increased from £5 million to £10 million in 2003-04 and will rise to £15 million by 2005-06. This will support the work of local youth justice teams and enable them to improve the range and quality of community based services for young offenders that are available. From 2002-03 to 2005-06, the Executive is also directly investing £18.4 million in these services through the Youth Crime Prevention and Intensive Support Funds and a further £14 million to implement measures in the Youth Crime Action Plan. Further investment will be forthcoming as part of the £65 million the Executive has set aside to support implementation of the Antisocial Behaviour strategy.

  This funding is in addition to the existing children and families social work grant aided expenditure allocations.

Young Offenders

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what action has been taken to provide further training and support for social workers, particularly in the use of risk assessment, as referred to in Audit Scotland’s report Dealing with Offending by Young People.

Euan Robson: The Scottish Executive has introduced National Standards for Scotland’s Youth Justice   Services. These   set out standards, to be achieved by 2006, that every young person referred to a hearing on offence grounds will have a comprehensive assessment delivered on time to a hearing, with the young person’s case worker in attendance at the hearing and that every comprehensive assessment must be completed using ASSET/YLS-CMI assessment tools. The Executive allocated an additional £3 million in 2002-03 to assist with the dissemination and effective use of these tools. In addition, most social workers working with young people subject to court orders are trained in the use both of the LSI-R assessment tool, which is an adult version of YLS-CMI, and in the use of the Scottish Executive's Risk Assessment and Guidance Framework. The new social work degree which will be in place from 2004 will also require social workers in training to demonstrate competence in the assessment and management of risk.